Lighter

ABSTRACT

A lighter includes a housing and ignition means for the lighter. The ignition means includes a member manually moveable with respect to the housing. A lock member is provided between the manually moveable member and the housing. Release means manually operable to move the lock member from a first position in engagement with both the housing and the manually moveable member to a second position wherein the lock member is released from the housing to allow the manually moveable member to move relative to the housing to allow or cause ignition of the lighter is provided. The release means require manual movement to release the lock in a direction different to both the direction of movement of the manually moveable member to allow or cause ignition, and the direction of movement of the lock member into or out of engagement with the housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to a lighter, particularly a small portable lighter of the type used to light cigarettes, cigars and other small combustible items.

[0002] With lighters presently available, such as with the prior art lighter hereinafter described, it is possible, in particular children, to cause the lighter to ignite by operating an ignition device by relatively simply manual manipulation. Such ignition could also occur accidentally with the lighter contained in a pocket, handbag or similar container. It will of course be apparent that such a situation where the lighter can be ignited by children or accidentally is undesirable and dangerous.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a lighter that will obviate or minimise the foregoing disadvantages in a simple yet effective manner or which will at least provide the public useful choice.

STATEMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Accordingly the invention consists in a lighter including a housing, ignition means for the lighter, the ignition means including a member manually moveable with respect to the housing, a lock member between the manually moveable member and the housing, and release means manually operable to move the lock member from a first position in engagement with both the housing and the manually moveable member to a second position wherein the lock member is released from the housing to allow the manually moveable member to move relative to the housing to allow or cause ignition of the lighter, the release means requiring manual movement to release the lock in a direction different to both the direction of movement of the manually moveable member to allow or cause ignition, and the direction of movement of the lock member into or out of engagement with the housing.

[0005] Preferably the manually moveable member comprises a cap rotatably mounted on the lighter and the lock member is mounted in the cap.

[0006] Preferably the cap is hollow and the lock member is moveable in the cap, the housing and cap having apertures therein substantially in alignment with the cap in a rest position relative to the housing, the lock member being biased to a position wherein the lock member engages in the apertures in the cap and housing to substantially prevent movement of the cap relative to the housing.

[0007] Preferably the release means includes a release member slideably mounted on the cap, the release member having a part extending from the cap to receive, in use, manual pressure and having a part engaging or engageable with the lock member so that upon movement of the lock member against the biasing force, the lock member is removed from at least the aperture in the housing.

[0008] Preferably the angle of movement between the direction of movement of the release member to cause release of the cap from the housing is substantially opposite to the direction of the movement of the cap relative to the housing to affect the ignition of the lighter and is substantially at right angles to the direction of movement of the lock member.

[0009] Preferably the lock member is biased by a spring within the cap.

[0010] Preferably the spring is a compression spring.

[0011] Preferably the lock member has a pair of lugs extending outwardly on opposite sides thereof able to be engaged by the release member, and substantially limiting movement of the lock member into the aperture in the housing.

[0012] Preferably the end of the release member is bifurcated, one arm passing each side of the lock member, each arm being engageable with one of the lugs.

[0013] Preferably the leading edge of each bifurcated arm of the release member presents a sloped face to the adjacent lug so as to lift the lock member from the aperture in the housing by engagement of the sloped face with the lug.

[0014] To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] One preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which,

[0016]FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a prior art lighter,

[0017]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lighter of FIG. 1,

[0018]FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the manually operable cap unit of the prior art lighter of FIG. 1, the cap unit being manually moveable to cause the lighter to light,

[0019]FIGS. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views of the prior art lighter in the “off” position and in a position where ignition can occur of the prior art lighter of FIG. 1 respectively,

[0020]FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a lighter in a preferred form of the present invention,

[0021]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the lighter of FIG. 5,

[0022]FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the actuating manually moveable cap member, partially broken away, of the lighter of FIG. 5,

[0023]FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the lighter of FIG. 5 with the safety catch mechanism engaged,

[0024]FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the lighter of FIG. 5 with the safety catch mechanism in an “off” position,

[0025]FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the lighter of FIG. 5 in a configuration where ignition can occur.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0026] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 the prior art lighter includes a flame guard 1 and an insulating unit 2. An actuating lever 3 is provided along with a lighting spring 4 on a nozzle 5. The nozzle 5 is assembled near the top of housing 6. The nozzle 5 has a part of reduced diameter 7 which is engageable by a recessed portion 8 between bifurcated arms 9 of the lever 3. The lever 3 includes pivot pins 10 at each side thereof The pins 10 pass into a channel 11 in the housing body resting on a ledge 12 at the bottom of the channel 11 so that the pins 10 provide a fork about which the lever 3 may rotate.

[0027] To cause ignition of the lighter a manually movable member is provided. This preferably comprises an actuating unit 20. In conventional leverage operated lighters this comprises a manually operable cap member or press button 21, a cover 22 and a fireproof cap 23. The cover 22 fits into a depression 24 in the top of the cap member 21, for example, by being a press fit or by glueing or otherwise fixing as desired. The fireproof cap 23 has inwardly extending arms 25 each with downward tongue 26 thereon which engages into receiving apertures 27 in the cover 22. The fireproof cap 23 is made of a metal, such as a metal film, and is assembled or positioned at front end 28 of the cap member 21 to protect the actuating unit 20 from damage which could be caused by the flame when the lighter is lit.

[0028] The cap member 21 has a peripheral downwardly depending wall 29 and a downwardly depending arm 30 comprising a stem 31 and a base unit 32. The base unit 32 is shaped to provide a slot 33 to receive a pressure rocker 34. The front end 35 of the pressure rocker 34 engages the rear end 36 of the lever 3 and the rear downwardly extending end 37 of the rocker unit 34 is able to engage the top surface 38 of a piezo electric unit 39. When lever 3 is raised nozzle 5 is also raised so that gas is ejected. At the same time the rear end 37 of the pressure unit 34 presses the surface 38 of the piezo unit 39 until it strikes to give out electrons at end 40 of conducting wire 41.

[0029] Pivot pins 42 are provided towards the lower end of the stem 31 so that the actuating unit 20 is rotatable along the axis provided by the pivot pins 42 when the lighter is assembled with pins 42 sitting on surface 43 in the housing 6.

[0030] The lighter is operated by holding the lighter in the hand and using the thumb to push the cover 22 of the actuating unit 20 rearwardly. The actuating unit 20 will rotate at 42 and 43 until it reaches an angle to strike the piezo unit 39 and emit electrons to create a potential difference where one pole goes from the top of the piezo unit 39 to the top of the lighting spring 4 via pressure unit 34, lever 3 and nozzle 5. The other pole travels from the bottom end of the piezo unit 29 to the end of the conducting wire 41 of the piezo unit 34. The two poles will strike through the air to give out sparks to light the gas ejected by nozzle 5 and a flame is obtained.

[0031] When the thumb is released, lever 3 will return to its original position and nozzle 5 will also return to the original position and stop ejecting gas.

[0032] The construction of FIG. 5 utilizes the same basic construction except as hereinafter described.

[0033] The central area of the manually operable cap member 21 includes therein a stop block 50. An aperture 51 is provided in the bottom 52 of the depression 24. A further block 54 is provided on the opposite side of the aperture 51 from the block 50 so that in effect a channel is provided between the blocks 50 and 54, the purpose of which will be described further hereinafter. A safety switch is added as follows. A release means comprising a release member 60 is provided and a slot 61 is provided at the rear of the peripheral wall 29. The release member has a base 62 from which extend a pair of bifurcated arms 63. A protrusion comprising, for example, a knob 64 is provided which may be ribbed at 65 on its upper surface. The cover 22 also has a cut out at 66. Thus the release member 60 is positionable between the base 52 of the depression 24 and the under surface of the cover 22. The knob 64 extends outwardly through the aperture 61 and the aperture 66. The bifurcated arms 63 move one each side of the block 50.

[0034] The forwardly pointing faces 70 of each arm 63 are sloped so that the arms 63 have the greatest length closest to the bottom 52 of the depression 24.

[0035] The release member 60 is biased, for example, by means of a spring 75 which may comprise a compression spring engaged between the block 50 and the face 76 of the member 60 between the bifurcated arms 63.

[0036] A lock member 80 is provided which may take the form of a pin preferably of the same cross-sectional shape as the aperture 51. The upper part of the lock member 80 has an outwardly extending lug 81 which is able to run against the adjacent surface of the block 50 and a pair of outwardly extending arms 84 on opposite sides of the lock member. The arms 84 preferably also present a sloped face to the faces 70 of the bifurcated arm 63 and this may be achieved by making the arm semi-circular towards the bottom 52. The lock member is biased downwardly into the aperture 51, for example, by compression spring 90 positionable between an aperture 91 in the upper surface of the lock member and engageable against the underside of the cover 22.

[0037] Also provided in the flame guard 1 is an aperture 97, which with the manually moveable actuating unit 20 in the position shown in FIG. 6, for example, is positioned to be substantially coincident with the aperture 51. The aperture 97 is most usefully the flame aperture of the lighter.

[0038] The spring 90 pushes the pin normally through the aperture 51 and into the aperture 97 with the arms or pins 84 limiting the extent of the downward movement of the pin 80 into the aperture 97.

[0039] In order to operate the lighter of FIGS. 5 to 10 the release member 60 must be pushed inwardly against the biasing pressure of the spring 75. This will cause the bifurcated arms 63 to move towards the lock member 80. The forwardly sloped faces of the arm 63 will engage the lugs or pins 84 causing the lock member 80 to be lifted from the aperture 97 substantially as shown in FIG. 9. This will occur because the lock member 80 is constrained against translational and rotational movement by the blocks 50 and 54. Once the lock member 80 is clear of the aperture 97 the manually moveable actuating unit 20 can be moved to the position shown in FIG. 10 where ignition of the lighter can take place in the manner previously described. Once the pressure on the manually moveable actuating unit 20 is removed it will return to the position shown, for example, in FIG. 2 and the biasing springs will cause the lock member 80 to become repositioned in the apertures 51 and 97 as the biasing spring 75 pushes the slide release member 60 rearwardly and away from the lock member so that the lock is again applied.

[0040] Thus it can be seen that in at least the preferred form of the invention a lighter is provided which has a further safety feature in that the manually moveable cap cannot be manually manipulated until the lock member has been removed from the aperture in the housing in which it is normally positioned. It is believed that it would be difficult, for children in particular, to complete both the sliding, pressing movement required to cause the lock member to be lifted from the aperture in the housing and to move the manually moveable member in substantially the opposite direction. It is also believed that it would be difficult for these movements to occur accidentally. Accordingly a safety device is provided to the lighter. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A lighter including a housing, ignition means for the lighter, the ignition means including a member manually moveable with respect to the housing, a lock member between the manually moveable member and the housing, and release means manually operable to move the lock member from a first position in engagement with both the housing and the manually moveable member to a second position wherein the lock member is released from the housing to allow the manually moveable member to move relative to the housing to allow or cause ignition of the lighter, the release means requiring manual movement to release the lock in a direction different to both the direction of movement of the manually moveable member to allow or cause ignition, and the direction of movement of the lock member into or out of engagement with the housing.
 2. A lighter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the manually moveable member comprises a cap rotatably mounted on the lighter and the lock member is mounted in the cap.
 3. A lighter as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cap is hollow and the lock member is moveable in the cap, the housing and cap having apertures therein substantially in alignment with the cap in a rest position relative to the housing the lock member being biased to a position wherein the lock member engages in the apertures in the cap and housing to substantially prevent movement of the cap relative to the housing.
 4. A lighter as claimed in claim 3, wherein the release means includes a release member slideably mounted on the cap, the release member having a part extending from the cap to receive, in use, manual pressure and having a part engaging or engageable with the lock member so that upon movement of the lock member against the biasing force, the lock member is removed from at least the aperture in the housing.
 5. A lighter as claimed in claim 4, wherein the angle of movement between the direction of movement of the release member to cause release of the cap from the housing is substantially opposite to the direction of the movement of the cap relative to the housing to affect the ignition of the lighter and is substantially at right angles to the direction of movement of the lock member.
 6. A lighter as claimed in claim 4, wherein the lock member is biased by a spring within the cap.
 7. A lighter as claimed in claim 6, wherein the spring is a compression spring.
 8. A lighter as claimed in claim 6, wherein the lock member has a pair of lugs extending outwardly on opposite sides thereof able to be engaged by the release member, and substantially limiting movement of the lock member into the aperture in the housing.
 9. A lighter as claimed in claim 8, wherein the end of the release member is bifurcated, one arm passing each side of the lock member, each arm being engageable with one of the lugs.
 10. A lighter as claimed in claim 9, wherein the leading edge of each bifurcated arm of the release member presents a sloped face to the adjacent lug so as to lift the lock member from the aperture in the housing by engagement of the sloped face with the lug.
 11. A lighter as claimed in claim 4, wherein the cap includes a channel in which the lock member moves, the channel being shaped to constrain movement of the lock member to movements into or out of the aperture in the housing.
 12. A lighter as claimed in claim 11, wherein the cap includes a pair of spaced apart block members to form said channel. 